Word: shehu
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...critical of the Russians was Deputy Premier Koci Xoxe, friend of Yugoslavia. He was executed in June 1949. Since then the Central Committee of the Albanian Workers' Party (Communist) has gone through several purges. The new Deputy Premier and Chief of Police is an Albanian named Mehmet Shehu (rhymes with say who), a Moslem who fought for Stalin in the Spanish civil war, was a partisan in Albania during World War II, went through advanced training in Moscow...
When an attempt was made to bomb the Soviet legation last February, Shehu put Tirana under nightly curfew, ordered his police to shoot on sight anyone seen in the streets, set up secret courts to dispose of suspects. Shehu, known as "the butcher," commands a well-equipped army of 70,000, whose main function is maintaining internal order...
Although there is no evidence this side of the Iron Curtain that Puppet Premier Enver Hoxha is disloyal to Moscow, Strongman Shehu may replace him. Recently the Russians imposed a new system of food distribution: henceforth crops will be forcibly collected from the peasants, put in a central pool at Tirana. Peasants will then buy back food for their own use under the same rationing conditions and at the same high prices as city dwellers. By making Hoxha personal sponsor of the measure, the Russians made him the scapegoat of enraged farmers. Russian food policy, confiscation of property and police...
Resistance to the regime inside Albania has been getting outside encouragement. Despite antiaircraft fire, strange planes have been flying over Albania dropping leaflets with the message: "Long live Albanian liberty. Do not lose faith. You will be freed soon." After each leaflet raid Shehu's police try to hold residents indoors until all leaflets have been picked up. Sponsor of the leaflets is the Free Albania Committee, whose headquarters is in New York City and which wants to bring back King Zog, now in exile in Egypt. Who supplies the aircraft is a Balkan mystery. Yugoslavia anxiously disclaims...
...Enemy Activity." Albania's Communist paper, Zeri i Popullit (Voice of the People), conceded that there had been a party purge. It scolded against "the Fascist gang in Belgrade, and, recently, the anti-party activities of Abedin Shehu . . . enemy activity inside our party...